UK risks falling behind Europe in controlling ‘forever chemicals’
PFAS “forever chemicals” are everywhere, they don’t break down in the environment, and they can build up in the body and can be toxic. The world is waking up to the issue but so far action has been slow.
There are thousands of PFAS but in the UK, just two – PFOS and PFOA – are regulated, and the country risks falling behind the EU, where plans to get a grip on the substances are under way.
The European Chemicals Agency is considering a proposal by Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden to restrict the manufacture and use of about 10,000 PFAS in an effort to regulate them as a class, reduce emissions and make products safer.
The EU is also contemplating stricter new standards on the levels of PFAS that are deemed safe in rivers. Currently an environmental quality standard for rivers is in place in the UK only for PFOS at an annual average of 0.65 nanograms/litre with a maximum allowable concentration of 36,000ng/l.
The proposed EU standard goes well beyond this, mooting a level of 4.4ng/l of PFOA equivalents for the sum of 24 PFAS. The sum is calculated using relative potency factors, which multiply or divide concentration values depending on how potent a PFAS is compared with PFOA.
Judged against them, many of England’s rivers would fail.
Analysis by the Rivers Trust for the Wildlife and Countryside Link (WCL) nature coalition found that at least 81 of 105 of English river sites where PFAS had been found would not meet the standard, with 44 exceeding the level by more than five times.
Some river sites, including on the River Ouse in Bedfordshire, the River Avon in Somerset and the River Mersey in Cheshire, have at least 10 times the EU’s proposed new safe level of PFAS, with the River Roding in east London having
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